Frozen Stars and Fiery Hearts
by Nitro Indigo
Summary: A caring phoenix and an over-enthusiastic puppy go on a hazardous journey to save a stranger in need. (Chicken Smoothie)


My name is Aurora Phoenix, and this village in a frozen tundra is my home. My mother is the Ice Phoenix, as beautiful as sparkling ice, and my father is the stars. My siblings and I have always lived here, but conditions here are harsh. It's very difficult to see during the half-year night, and the creatures who live here frequently get lost in the unvaried landscape. But the ice is beautiful, and we strive to survive here. Not many creatures from outside ever came here, which made a surprise visitor one day even more unusual.

It was a day not long before the coming of summer, and my siblings and I were looking forward to it. There was going to be a celebration when the sun finally rose – not a very fancy celebration, but all of the creatures here were looking forward to it. I've never actually seen the sun before, but my mother told me that it is very bright, brighter than even the moon, but I should discover it for myself.

A resident of this tundra called the Neutral Dog has been around for a long time, and she knows all sorts of things. She's usually the first one to know when something's amiss, so everyone listens to her. On this day, she was telling everyone to go to the village square.

"There's something urgent I need to tell you!" she shouted when she was near my family's home, an alcove in a rocky wall.

After hearing those words, I quickly jumped down, spreading out my wings, and ran as fast as I could to the village square. All sorts of pets were there; penguin chicks, white butterfly wolves, my mother's crystal sisters, and even Neutral Dog's two siblings. They all stood, listening, while she shouted the news.

"Someone's fallen in the middle of the Great Ice Field!"

Everyone in the square looked at each other, as if asking questions. Eventually, one creature asked a question directly to Neutral Dog.

"By any chance, do you know what this mysterious fallen traveller looks like?" asked one of the butterfly wolves.

"Well, they fell quite far away, but they could fly, and they looked orange. They stood out from the night sky and frozen ground," the dog replied.

"And why should we care?" asked Dark Puppy, one of Neutral Dog'ssiblings.

"Don't you realize? Someone's in trouble!" replied the older dog, desperately.

"Well… then I'll rescue them!" I shouted out.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" replied the butterfly wolf. "You'd easily get lost in the lack of light there, and they seem to have fallen a long way away. Not to mention, it's said that a great monster lives in there…"

"Well if it's not safe, then I won't do this alone!" I responded, without really thinking.

Once again, the creatures in the square looked at each other, questioning what I had said. Finally, someone stepped forward.

"I'll come with you!" It was Ice Puppy, Neutral Dog's other sibling.

"Are you sure about that, sis?" asked Neutral Dog. "A little puppy like you wouldn't manage out there."

"Come on, sis, I'll be fine. I'm brave, I can handle this!" replied Ice PPS, cheerfully.

Neutral Dog didn't respond. Ice Puppy's eternal optimism made arguing with her difficult and a waste of time. And so, after some preparation, Ice Puppy and I set out to the Great Ice Field.

* * *

A few hours later, I was beginning to regret my decision. We'd been wandering through the Great Ice Field without finding anything. Although the sky was clear, the landscape was largely the same. Several times we'd thought we'd found the creature we were looking for, only for it to turn out to be a trick of the light. I was giving up hope, but Ice Puppy remained enthusiastic.

"You know, Ice Puppy, I hate to say this, but… I'm considering giving up searching. We've been gone for a while and haven't found anything; everyone in the village must be worried about us. Including your sister," I told my companion.

"Really? Sis shouldn't worry about me. She let me go here, right?" replied Ice PPS. She was looking around as if she saw something.

"Yes, but that's only because you're too optimistic to be argued with. Not being afraid of things can sometimes have disastrous consequences," I said. I noticed something moving nearby. Was I imagining it, or…?

Suddenly, I heard the flapping of wings, and Ice Puppy and I were covered with a flurry of snow. As the snow cleared, I noticed a white, winged dog wearing a blue necklace. It must've been the monster the butterfly wolf warned me of!

"Yikes!" I shouted. The winged dog was trying every way it could to scare us away, by showing us what I assumed were canine signs of aggression. They must've worked, because Ice Puppy was starting to back away, but still kept her happy outlook.

"You don't belong here! LEAVE!" the dog demanded.

The dog's wings whirled up a whirlwind of snow. I could barely see where I was going. I had no idea where Ice Puppy was – a little pup like her, no matter how optimistic – wouldn't be safe here. But I had to go – I had to survive. I ended up running in no particular direction, hoping Ice Puppy was okay.

Eventually, I almost tripped over something. It was orange, a bird of some sort, and lying awkwardly on the ground, as if it had fallen… was it the creature Neutral Dog had seen falling? I tried shaking it as best as I could with my wings, and it started to wake up.

"Hello, stranger," the bird said. "Do you perhaps know where we are?"

"We're in the Great Ice Field, and I came here looking for someone who'd fallen. Let me take you back to the village," I replied.

* * *

It took a while, but we eventually made it back to the village. At the entrance, Neutral Dog was waiting for us, as if she'd recently been crying.

"You made it back!" she exclaimed. "I was getting worried!"

"Yes, I'm okay, but where's Ice Puppy?" I asked, worriedly.

"She made it back just fine, long before you came. And you seem to have found a friend here, as well," Neutral Dog replied.

I looked around for a moment, confused, until I realized that she was referring to the red bird I found.

"Oh, him? I found him in the Great Ice Field," I replied.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the red bird. "My name is Fire Phoenix, and I spend my life travelling this world. Unfortunately, when I was flying over this area, I was caught up in a snowstorm, and presumably fell…"

"Okay then," replied Neutral Dog. "We'll discuss this with everyone later in the village square."

* * *

"Wait… you found FIRE PHOENIX? And didn't think much of it?"

The white butterfly wolf from earlier was shocked.

"What? Is he a local celebrity or something?" I asked, confusedly.

"Are you SERIOUS? Phoenixes are incredibly rare! You and your family were thought to be the only phoenixes in the entire world!" she exclaimed. "And how did you survive the great monster?"

"Well, the great monster you speak of was a white, winged dog, who was trying to warn us to get away, I think, and his wings whipped up snow, so I couldn't see ad got lost for a while," I replied.

"A WHILE? You were gone for days!"

I was a bit confused for a moment, but then I remembered that for as long as I'd been alive, it had always been night. I wasn't really sure what a day looked like.

"But we made it back, so that's the important part, right?" Ice Puppy spoke up.

"Well, I suppose so, but what if…" the butterfly wolf said.

"Please calm down," replied Neutral Dog. "Aurora, Ice, we'll discuss things later."

* * *

A while later, Fire Phoenix, Ice Puppy and I were all gathered in Neutral Dog's home, next to her fireside.

"I was seriously worried about you out there! I shouldn't have let you go. I wasn't thinking clearly enough at the time…" Neutral explained.

"You see, Ice Puppy has a condition known as Peter Pan Syndrome," she continued, "which means she'll be young forever, and will long outlive most of us. Which means, Ice, you're actually my _older_ sister."

Ice Puppy looked shocked for a moment, then returned to her usual, happy self.

"I didn't want to tell you that, because I was worried about how you'd react, even though getting upset about things like that is not in your nature."

"It's okay," Ice puppy cheerfully replied. "It's better to know things."

"And as for Fire Phoenix, well… you tell us your story."

"Ah, yes," Fire Phoenix said. "See, I've been travelling the world for all my life, never staying in one place for long. It's what my kind do. From what I've heard, many creatures, like that butterfly wolf, have started to doubt my existence. Even though I appreciate your hospitality, I've got to go soon."

"You've got to go soon, Fire?" I asked. "How about you stay until the coming of summer? I've heard it's going to be a really big celebration."

"Coming of summer, you say? Well, that sounds like a good time to leave. How long will it be?"

"The coming of summer is in a few days," said Neutral Dog. "You should get to know the locals while you're here, and maybe tell the creatures in the next place you visit about them. Oh, and I almost forgot… Aurora Phoenix, from what you've told me, I'm pretty sure that dog you met is the White Fallen Angel."

"Do you know anything about him?" I asked.

"He sounds like he was just trying to protect his territory. This isn't the only inhabited area in the Frozen North. He might've been from a place that's less welcoming, and worried that you were trying to trespass or steal something."

"Well, that's understandable. After all, I don't think he'd even seen a phoenix like me before…"

* * *

And so, a few days later, it was the day of the coming of summer. My mother, the Ice Phoenix, was hosting the event, and later she'd be doing a countdown. It was a big celebration; creatures of all shapes and sizes who normally didn't talk to each other were happily chatting, and there were lots of them. There were so many, they couldn't all fit in the village square. It was a big celebration… but it was also sad, because today was the day Fire Phoenix had to leave. The two of us were talking just outside of the village square.

"So when do you think you'll leave?" I asked.

"Well, I think a fitting time would be just as the sun rises, as I'll be able to see where I'll be going," replied Fire.

"Okay, then. I wonder what they sun looks like…"

"Well, child, you're really missing out. The sun is big, and glows bright, brighter than even the moon, and the sky turns pale blue. You'll also be able to see much clearer."

"Oh, the sun sounds great! I can't wait to see it!"

And so, we watched the stars shine on, waiting until the countdown started. I've been told that I wouldn't see them again for a long while.

"Five minutes until sunrise!"

I quickly ran into the village square, where the main celebration was taking place. The sky was already lightening. Fire Phoenix followed me. While I was there, I decided to talk to Neutral Dog, Ice Puppy, and their unenthusiastic brother Dark Puppy.

"So are you looking forward to the summer coming?" I asked.

"Definitely!" exclaimed Ice Puppy.

"Well, it's great to finally see the summer sky again. Y'know, I've heard that in some places, day and night are only about 12 hours or so long each. Imagine that!" said Neutral Dog.

"Yeah, right," muttered Dark Puppy, sarcastically. "I liked it better when it was dark."

"Well, I'm kind of looking forward to it; this will be my first summer, after all. But at the same time, there's someone I have to say goodbye to…"

"One minute until sunrise!"

I went back to where Fire Phoenix was. He was talking to some cats.

"Sorry to bother you, but it's almost time for you to leave, Fire Phoenix. Are you sure about this?" I said.

"Yes, I'm sure. You see, I am a traveller, so I don't miss anyone too much. But you, Aurora Phoenix, saved my life, and I'd understand that you'd miss me," he replied

"Well, that's okay then… I guess… just promise you won't forget me, okay?"

"Five… four… three… two… one… and… SUNRISE!"

Suddenly, the sky became a lot brighter, and became a lovely blue colour. I squinted, not used to the light. There was something white on the horizon, which was very bright – the sun? It was a lot better than my mother had described it to me. It was more beautiful than the moon.

I noticed that Fire Phoenix was standing in the middle of the village square.

"Well, everyone, it's been nice knowing you, but… it's in my nature to travel far and wide, never staying in one place for long. I've stayed here a lot longer than I normally do, and I hope you've all enjoyed my company. But thank you to everyone for being so friendly. I'd even say you're the nicest group of creatures I've ever met. And above all, thank you and goodbye to Aurora Phoenix, for finding me stranded in the Great Ice Field, despite all of the dangers there. I promise that no matter where I am, I will never forget you. I will tell every creature I can about you. Goodbye… and thank you. And now… I must leave."

Everyone watched as Fire Phoenix flew away into the rising sun, to travel the world. I wonder what he'd see next? Even though it was sad that someone I'd come to know was leaving, I was happy that this was the start of something new.

* * *

 _CS pets featured in this story:_

 _Aurora Phoenix - September 2015 (the first 2nd Gen chicken on the archive page)  
Ice Phoenix - Christmas 2014  
_ _Ice Puppy, Neutral Dog and Dark Puppy - Ice PPS, Neutral Morality and Dark PPS, August 2009  
_ _White Fallen Angel - Halloween 2014  
_ _Fire Phoenix - UR Phoenix, Special Releases 2013  
_ _The white butterfly wolf isn't supposed to be any particular butterfly wolf._


End file.
